


Lightning Strikes

by kuhekabir



Series: Fire and Ice [2]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Adventures: Avengers, Marvel Avengers Movies Universe, The Avengers (2012), Thor (2011)
Genre: Angst, Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-20
Updated: 2012-06-20
Packaged: 2017-11-08 04:21:46
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,397
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/439099
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kuhekabir/pseuds/kuhekabir
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p><i>Yes</i>, he decided, his decision made. They would strike into the heart of Asgard like lightning: Unable to be predicted, harsh in its glory and without mercy.</p>
<p>And like the force of nature they would never strike in the same place twice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Lightning Strikes

**Author's Note:**

> This is Part 2 in the series Fire and Ice. The 1 Part is called _The Calm Before The Storm_ and I would recommend reading this story before reading this one.
> 
> This verse will be Loki/Thor and this is why the pairing is up there...right now though, they still have issues to work out so we aren't there yet!
> 
> I hope you will enjoy this part. Thanks so much for your support! *hands out kudos to anyone reading this*

He stood by the window, staring unseeingly out into the bright sunshine. Considering his mood, lashing rain and raging skies would’ve probably been more appropriate.

“We need weapons…” he said slowly, uttering the words carefully.

“We have weapons,” Sif pointed out, speaking from behind him.

He turned around, facing his friend. She looked stunning, even dressed in more suitable garb for Midgard. Blending in wasn’t easy for any of them but he’d still made it an order that everyone at least tried. Even those who rarely left the little cabin in the middle of nowhere…

Paranoia wasn’t his forte since he tended to trust people until proven wrong but his recent experience had ensured he at least tried to look at the world from a new perspective. So far he hadn’t steered their tiny group wrong.

“No, Sif,” he answered. “Loki would…” he interrupted himself, a spike of anger shooting through him. Not anger at his no longer brother, no, anger at himself for being incapable of getting a few facts through his thick skull. Try as he might, he still automatically thought of Loki. Every time he observed something what he considered worthwhile, he found himself trying to memorize the moment so he could share it with Loki later. He also still collected anecdotes to be shared over meals.

He hoped he would eventually learn not to bother. Until then, he was getting quite irritated at himself. And being constantly irritated at himself was also annoying him. It was a downward spiral, really, it was.

“We need to think outside the box…”

“Box?”

Thor had been actively watching an hour of TV every day to catch up on Midgardian phrases and news. No one else seemed to have been terribly interested in learning more about this world so he had let it slide. Maybe this was yet another of those things he’d have to re-think.

“It means,” he clarified, “we need to look at this war from a new perspective. We cannot win if we try and take my father on head-on. Asgard is strong. They have many skilled warriors and magical barriers we need to evade.”

“Our cause is just. We will prevail,” Sif simply stated, giving him a nod before she turned around.

“Sif?” 

She stopped.

“I’ll be gone for a little while. Look after things in the mean time…”

“Of course. You don’t need to ask. Be careful out there, Thor. Everyone in the nine realms is aware of the discontent on Asgard but we do not now how common folk will react should you be spotted. Odin has been king for so long…”

“I will take care, Sif, do not worry,” he quickly reassured her.

When she was gone, he exhaled sharply. Then he turned around again, glaring at the sunshine. Really, was it too much to ask for the bloody weather to fit his mood?

##

Walking _sideways_ was a difficult task. After declaring his intent to rid Asgard of his current ruler, he’d needed to find other means of travelling between the realms since calling on the Bifrost was out of the option.

Thankfully, his mother had sent word to him, leaving him clear instructions on how to go about breaching the space between realms without getting caught. Without Frigga, he was sure neither one of them would be here any longer.

She’d also guided his steps to creating amulets which would obscure Heimdall’s view. There would’ve been no point of trying to secretly gain support for his quest if one word from Odin would’ve directed an army right to them.

If Loki had been at his side, things would’ve been so much simpler.

Thor shook his head, the all too familiar anger and hatred flashing through him. He forced his gaze away from the window, closing his eyes for a few seconds to gather his will. He was no sorcerer and he never would be. But everyone had at least a marginal ability to use magic if you knew what you were doing.

Humans had been practicing without a clue for centuries and still continued to do so now. Fabricating protection amulets was uncomplicated. The ingredients were easy to get, words had to be mumbled and then any amulet could be dropped into the liquid and voila, protection was granted to the wearer from the All Seeing Heimdall.

Walking sideways also wasn’t magic, at least not according to his mother. It was dangerous though and he wasn’t allowed to take anyone with him on his travels. He’d never been a solitary creature before, always preferring the merriment of company, but lately he’d found himself seeking quiet corners for thinking.

Not that it was doing him much good, he thought with chagrin. But he was a stubborn man and he wasn’t about to be defeat by this challenge without giving it his best. So what if he was out of his element and if actually strategic planning and walking in shadows wasn’t his thing.

He could adapt. He had to for the sake of everyone concerned.

When he opened his eyes, he carefully looked around, looking for the tear in the fabric of the world. There…to his right…a flicker, barely visible but with this now trained eye, it was like a flare going off in darkness.

He moved towards it, his steps careful and measured, unlike the rushed, energetic movements of his past. When he stepped through the tear, he carefully weaved the world closed behind him. It wouldn’t do if someone accidentally stumbled into the void between the realms.

How Loki survived the madness…oh wait, he didn’t. Not really anyway. Thor pushed the thoughts of his not-brother aside. Seriously, up until recently he hadn’t been aware of how much of his waking time he spent contemplating Loki. It couldn’t be sane, right?

And recently he’d started to star in his dreams too. These were occurrences which had Thor blushing every time he woke up. Maybe the world had it wrong. Maybe Loki wasn’t actually the mad sibling but he was. Recent evidence would confirm it.

Still, he wasn’t suicidal enough to actually tell anyone of his dreams. It wasn’t as if they would come true. He hadn’t inherited the gift of prophecy from his mother so his dreams were nothing more than fabrications of his subconscious. At times, he’d rather they were prophetic because then he couldn’t take credit for seeing Loki on his knees, sucking on his…no, not going there.

Finding the right string to follow between the worlds was hard. In the beginning, he’d spent countless hours travelling to the wrong places because he hadn’t known what he was doing. Then, like a light bulb going off in darkness, he’d finally learned, and now, this was like breathing to him.

When he found the string he was looking for, he grabbed it, following it. There were voices all around him, trying to distract him. He paid no heed to them. The darkness was full of creatures which had never set foot in any realms. They were hiding, waiting for some fool to get lost, wanting nothing more than to devour.

How had he described this place to Sif when she’d asked? It was like walking between the stars that shone on the night’s sky. There was no up, there was no down…there was only nothing and you were right in the middle of it.

When the string got thicker, indicating Asgard was around the corner, he pulled forward the image of where he wanted to be. It was tricky, nearly impossible to get to a specific location if he hadn’t travelled there before. 

Without knowing where he was going, he could arrive anywhere…which wasn’t such a good idea when it came to Asgard. If his father caught him…well, Thor liked to think no harm would come to him because they were still father and son but the rational part of him knew this would not be the case.

The darkness flickered, revealing the veil between the worlds. He turned sideways, squeezing through it. Once he was out in yet again bright sunshine, he allowed himself a few seconds of relief. One might argue he knew what he was doing by now but just because he had mastered the art of _side stepping_ through the realms, didn’t mean he was comfortable in doing so.

When he had composed himself, he looked around. Great, he’d arrived where he wanted to be. Before him, nestled against the backdrop of huge trees, hidden from most travellers who came this way, was the house of Æsa. She was someone he’d met by accident when he had been a child and she’d been a good friend and confidant ever since. Not even Loki knew of her existence because for some reason, he’d never confided in him about her. In retrospect, this was weird since up until recently he’d always told everything to his brother. Maybe it had been foresight on his part? Some deep, primal instinct which had driven him to keep her hidden?

Or it had been just chance…and he shouldn’t start reading more meaning into things than necessary. 

“Thor,” she said, greeting him by way of opening her arms. He stepped forward and into her embrace.

She hadn’t aged a day. She was still tall, dark haired and green eyed with skin so fair she hardly spent any time outside. She was a striking woman, in many ways.

“You are still living in exile, I see,” he told her when he pulled away, a soft smile gracing his lips.

She crooked her head sideways, smiling at him. She was one of the few people who didn’t need to look up at him because she was nearly as tall as he was. “I am comfortable with only the birds and bees for company. I do not fare well among our kind. You know that, Thor.”

And she was right. For trouble followed Æsa everywhere she went. She had an eye for conflict, thriving on creating chaos, very much like Loki in a way and yet, so vastly different. She also knew things, being nearly as old as the All-father and it was for her wisdom he’d come.

“Step inside,” she offered. “I’ve made tea.”

He inclined his head, accepting the invitation. Tea wasn’t something he regularly drank but Æsa wasn’t in the habit of storing anything stronger.

Her home was sparse by any standard but always comfortable. He took his seat on one of the cushy rugs, waiting for her to serve the tea. Silence reigned for a few minutes until she was ready. With a mug in his hand, he waited for her to speak.

“What brings you here?” Æsa finally asked.

“I am at a loss,” Thor confessed. “Odin needs to step down. He cannot remain the King of Asgard and yet, I am unsure how to accomplish this task.”

“You have ruled out a full on assault then?”

“Yes,” Thor quickly confirmed. “We would lose.”

“Yes, you would,” She confirmed. He watched as she raised her mug, taking a few sips of tea. To be polite, he did the same. Trying not to gag on the sweet concoction was hard but he’d had many years of practice.

“I know of ways to infiltrate Asgard,” Thor continued. “I can get a few select warriors into the palace without detection.”

“What about the magical wards inside the palace?” she asked.

“I’m planning on using Midgardian weapons since none of the barriers will be attuned to them.”

In one of the programmes he’d seen, a bearded lady of sorts had talked about vibrations and frequencies and how they were all around them. He hadn’t understood most of it, believing it to be advanced Midgardian magic or science, as they called it, but he had still taken something important way from it.

Asgard was warded against anyone getting passed certain parts of the city while carrying weapons. Even further, other, key areas, were also heavily guarded with magical enchantments. It was a safety net, making the place downright impossible to penetrate. But…Midgard had never been a threat. Currently there were no safe guards against any new weapons manufactured there so if he were to use those tools, he could walk through those wards without being detected!

Æsa nodded, satisfied with his explanation.

“You cannot take the throne and leave your father alive,” she said after a few seconds.

Thor’s face clouded over. This was the reason he was here. Odin needed to step down. The realms couldn’t risk him being in power, not with the threat looming on the horizon and Odin’s penchant for making deals behind everyone’s back. 

He pursed his lips. He always refused to rise to barbs about his intelligence, calling Loki the clever one and he was nothing but the brawn but lately, he’d been forced to admit there might be some truth to it.

How else would anyone explain that he’d managed to plan a way to infiltrate Asgard and fail to consider what he would do next? For he doubted he could actually kill his father in cold blood…but then…if he couldn’t actually follow through on his claim, why did he even bother with this?

“This is why I am here,” he confessed. “Killing my father should be the last resort. You are wise, have seen many things…do you know of another way to take the crown?”

“I do not,” Æsa answered, dashing any hope he might’ve had instantly. “But I know where you might find what you seek.”

##

Oh how he wished he’d paid more attention to Loki and his sneaky ways when he had the chance!

Alas, he had come this far without being detected and he was going to go all the way even if it killed him. And this just might.

Sneaking into the palace and trying to get to the ancient library halls was not only folly, it was the mother of all follies, but it was the only place where the ancient scrolls he needed were located.

Thankfully, not many travelled this way and he made it into the gigantic halls without being detected.

Æsa knew where the scrolls he needed were located so he quickly followed the instructions until he arrived at the right shelf.

He stared. There were so many of them! He couldn’t risk staying here and reading through all of them but if he took them…

Wait…he dashed back to the more popular sections, digging through the shelves until he found less used scrolls. Then he rushed back, dropping them onto the floor and removing the ones he had been looking for. Once the exchange had been made, he quickly picked up the ones he needed, retracing his steps until he was out in the hallways again.

He couldn’t risk opening the veil in here. Odin might suspect what he was doing by now but there was always the hope he hadn’t realized his son had actually mastered the art of walking between the realms. On the off chance that Odin still thought he was constricted to Midgard, he needed to keep his father as unaware as he possibly could.

As far as anyone knew, Frigga was a loyal wife, bowing down to Odin’s wishes. For his mother’s sake, Thor didn’t risk changing this opinion.

Noises up ahead had him stopping cold. His eyes darted left and right, looking for a way to escape. He couldn’t go back since there was no good way to hide his big frame among the library shelves.

He couldn’t go forward since someone was coming this way.

His eyes settled on a nearby window. _Really?_ How as this his life? He wasn’t prone to lamenting his fate but lately he’d been quite tempted! The voices grew louder and louder, and with a heavy sigh, he darted towards the window. With grace easily learned in many years of battles, he vanished through the window just in the nick of time.

The long fall would kill him, even someone with improved strength and longevity as him. The spikes awaiting him would most certainly finish the job should he, by miracle over miracle, actually survive after all.

But he was technically outside of the palace now, no longer subject of its wards. There…a soft shimmer indicated a veil and it seemed to be a long one. He manoeuvred his body so he was falling towards it.

The ground, and its spiky welcome committee, was rushing towards him but he refused to feel fear. His heart was racing, his skin was tingling and his senses were working over time. There wasn’t a shred of doubt he allowed to blossom, his reactions well practiced by now. He passed through the veil and into the void, mere inches away from his death.

The disconcerting thing was, on the other side, his momentum vanished as if it had never been. His body didn’t rush forward, neither was it crushed by his weight. And yet, his senses still wanted to compensate for an abrupt stop even when _said stop_ hadn’t actually happened.

He latched onto the string he needed with almost too much force, nearly snapping it apart. Curses tumbled off his lips but Lady Luck must’ve been smiling at him because he still managed to prevail.

When he finally stumbled back into the room he had vacated so many hours ago, his knees gave out and he tumbled to the floor. His scrolls fell out of his grip, rolling through the room. On all fours, he tried to steady his breath. No one was here, so it was alright to show weakness, if only for a few precious moments.

When he had his breathing somewhat under control, and his heart was no longer racing as if it wanted to jump out of his chest, he pushed himself upwards so he could sit on his legs. He rubbed the bridge of his nose, staring with disdain at the randomly distributed scrolls on the floor.

Now came the actual hard part: he had to read through the notes, hoping he would find a loophole to dispose of Odin.

For Æsa had assured him there were legal ways to remove a ruler from his throne, even if in the long Asgardian history this had actually never been attempted. Or if it had happened, history had been made silent on the topic.

But Æsa had been certain that when their laws had been drafted, such laws had been included.

It was his only chance to do this without bloodshed. For his sake, for everyone’s sake, Thor hoped he would find what he was looking for.

If he could not…well, then his only choice was to kill his father. And what kind of reign would he start if he succeeded to the throne by spilling blood? He believed in omens, and a reign birthed in blood, couldn’t bring forth anything good.

With a heavy sigh, he reached out, grabbing the first scroll. Might as well get started. It wasn’t as if he had anything else to do at his point.

##

Hours passed, days even, until he finally found what he had been looking for. He couldn’t believe it. Closing his eyes for a few moments, he took a deep breath. When he opened them again, he read the passage once more.

Yes, he hadn’t started to imagine things. He quickly placed the scroll onto the floor, digging through a reference section he’d found earlier on. Some laws had been passed literally aeons ago with some of them being rendered obsolete by newer ones. It wouldn’t do him any good if the one law he needed, had been rendered useless

Odin was sneaky. Surely, if he had been aware of this law existing, his paranoia would’ve had him invalidating him at the first chance he got.

He gulped, eyes trained on the list of active laws. He was holding his breath as his finger trailed down the listed items. It was a long list, as one might imagine, even if it wasn’t as long as one might suspect. The law of succession, as it was called, was still there. And yes, the indicator next to it matched the one on his new favourite scroll perfectly.

It was valid.

_It was valid!_

If the ground would’ve swallowed him whole right this moment, he would’ve gone willingly. Happily even, because he was exhausted. He’d rather fight countless hours, have sweat pour down his body and be drenched his own blood than do this again. How could anyone possibly consider research to be pleasant?

It was mind numbingly boring, made his eyes hurt, his skin itch and it had given him the mother of all headaches. Even after his last revelry and countless hours of drinking, he’d never felt this miserable.

“Are you alive in there?” Sif peaked into the room.

“Barely,” Thor confessed but despite his exhaustion, he was smiling up at his friend. “But I’ve found what I’ve been looking for.”

“You should’ve allowed one of us to help you,” Sif criticized him. It wasn’t the first time she’d voiced her opinion but this task had been something he’d wanted to do on his own. Maybe it had been foolish of him to refuse help but he hadn’t wanted to have anyone else touch these scrolls.

“Tell me,” She instructed when no reply to her previous comment was forthcoming. She fully entered the room. Then she sat down on the ground, leaning against the now closed door.

“The law of succession states,” he explained, “that in the throne room of Asgard, the current ruler can be challenged to a fight. The victor of the game will be deemed ready to take the throne from the current, unfit ruler.”

“What is to stop your father from killing you should you win? Or from uttering a challenge of his own?”

“This…” Thor pointed towards the fine print. “The deposed king is magically banned from challenging the new king. As a matter of fact, the new king can even pass a sentence and banish the old king for eternity. If Odin so much as sets a foot onto Asgard’s soil, he will die instantly.”

“He could still send someone to do his dirty work for him,” Sif pointed out.

Thor merely shrugged. “Any king is faced with such a danger.”

“You should kill him,” Sif calmly stated.

“I probably should,” Thor agreed. He then looked up, meeting her eyes. “But what kind of example would I set if I not only killed the former king but also my father? Don’t forget, I will also need to earn the loyalty of the people.”

“Once they know what Odin has done…”

“Yes,” Thor interrupted her. “But until his wicked ways are exposed, I cannot take the chance.”

“And you really don’t want to kill your father,” Sif eventually added.

“Can you blame me?”

She didn’t answer. She didn’t have to. Their gazes met again. Without uttering a single word, Thor knew she was thinking the same thing he was.

_Loki wouldn’t hesitate to kill Odin._

But Thor wasn’t his not-brother, and for the first time since this quest had started, he was actually glad for it.

##

Aylward was one of the first elves to join Thor’s quest and he’d brought with him quite a few followers. Currently, aside from Sif, he was the only other person he trusted to have his back.

Sadly, neither Volstagg, Fandral or Hogun had come to join them. On good days, he thought it was because they were smart enough not to risk travelling to Midgard, tipping Odin off about their true allegiance. On bad days, he figured they had abandoned him. On most days, he tried not to think about it. He’d do no one any favours if he ended up maudlin. Oh how he yearned for the days where all he had to do was raised his sword and charge into battle!

“Where are you going?” Sif stepped into his path.

“Remember those weapons we were talking about?” He asked.

She nodded.

“I’m going to call upon an old friend to see if he would assist us in acquiring them…”

“Do you want me to come with you?” She offered.

_Yes,_ would be his immediate answer but unfortunately there were good reasons for going alone. “He isn’t blocked from view. If Heimdall is looking, he will know he ise talking to me. The risk should be mine to bear alone…”

“I’m not some maiden in need to be coddled,” Sif hissed, her hands coming to rest on her hips. Her stance was challenging and Thor had never seen anything more inspiring. “And if you don’t want to take me, take someone else with you! We can handle ourselves. We chose to be here! And so far we’ve been doing nothing but sit around…”

“You know very well I have nothing but admiration for you,” Thor hastily countered Sif’s words. “I don’t want to tip off my father as to who has joined up with me.”

Sif snorted. “He surely already knows about me…”

“Probably,” Thor shrugged. “but he has no proof. Let’s not give him more to use against us. You still have family in Asgard…what would happen to them if he had something he could present the court with? How do you think their lives would be?”

He watched as Sif swallowed hard. She might’ve been willing to risk her life for their cause but it was quite another thing to risk the life of her mother and her younger sister. Neither one of them possessed her fighting skills or her inclinations.

“Be careful…” She said eventually.

Thor simply raised an eye brow. _Careful_ wasn’t his middle name. But he’d try not to run any stupid risks…even though he’d probably find someone who’d be willing to claim that _careful_ and _stupid risks_ , when it came to him, were kind of the same.

##

Thankfully, most Midgardians rarely looked to the sky so he had no problems travelling by using his hammer. Walking places in Asgard had been time consuming and annoying but on his last trip there, he hadn’t wanted to risk drawing any attention to him. Leaving Mjollnir behind had been hard but the weapon had a characteristic energy signature which would’ve given his presence away almost immediately. No wonder he’d never bothered with _caution_ before, he thought with disdain, since it was nothing but trouble and always ended with him having a headache. It was so much simpler to just head straight for the trouble, take it on and then crush it.

He landed on Stark’s tower, using the same platform Stark would use for his suit. The moment he sat foot on the platform, the familiar voice of JARVIS greeted him.

“It is a pleasure to have you back, Sir…”

“Thank you,” Thor politely answered. He still wasn’t quite sure how Stark had managed to take a human’s essence and trap it into such a soulless construct but since the soul didn’t seem to mind, he’d decided against questioning this further.

“Is Stark in?” he asked, realizing he had no contingency plan if his shield brother had left town. Stark had been the only one to speak up for him, as he recalled, and he was banking on the human’s continued good will and his readiness to support a good cause to get what he wanted. He hadn’t parted on the best of ways with his brothers and his sisters but surely they weren’t holding this against him.

“He is,” JARVIS confirmed. “He is on the other side of the door. Straight head, if you please. Do you want me to announce your presence?”

“This will not be necessary. Thank you for offering…”

“Very well…”

Thor quickly walked towards the entrance, pushing the glass door ajar. Voices greeted him almost immediately but it was the all too familiar laughter which had him stopping in his tracks.

He wasn’t one for sneaking around, for eavesdropping, but he was frozen to the spot, unable to move. In this position, all he could do was listen.

“Oh, come on. I beat you fair and square!” Stark protested, voice slightly outraged but still holding a hint of laughter.

“I request a re-match. There is no way you puny human could’ve defeated me this easily!” Loki’s voice of outrage held humour too which was a downright startling fact. Thor couldn’t recall the last time he’d heard this tone of voice from Loki.

What was his brother doing here? Why was he sparring with Stark? Last Thor had heard, Loki had vanished, leaving him with a broken promise and more or less exiled from his fellow Avengers. And now he was back? And no one had sought to tell him? He frowned. Had he harmed the device Stark had given him? The one the humans were using to communicate over long distances? He should ask since he was already here…

It was fortuitous, Thor decided that Loki was here. Having someone of his little brother’s skills at his side would make everything so much easier. They’d made a good team back then, even if their goals had been mostly disastrous. He didn’t mind being the brawn. He knew he was good with the sword and he excelled in battle. In the heat of the moment, with adrenalin coursing through his veins, the world turned so sharp, so pure, it was a thrill he had quite missed in the recent days. And say what you’d like about Loki, no one could ever deny he was the best when it came to planning and sneaking around.

He stepped into the room, fully intending to announce his presence. Loki truly must be distracted if he hadn’t sensed him yet. Thor couldn’t recall the last time he’d been able to sneak up to his sibling.

“You’re not really as stealthy as you think you are…”

_Ah_ , Thor thought. Loki had known he was there all along.

“Bro…” he started to say before he stopped himself. “It is good to see you, Loki,” he said instead, inclining his head in greeting. The last harsh words uttered by his brother fluttered through his mind but he decided not to pay them any heed. Let bygones be bygones and start afresh. He wasn’t one to hold grudges after all. No reason to start now.

“Thor!” Stark jumped off the sofa, turning around to face him with a somewhat nervous smile on his face. “What brings you here?” The brown eyes flickered to Loki before they settled on Thor again. If he didn’t know any better, Thor would have to assume Stark was nervous about something. And despite the vivacious attitude and disregard for rules, Stark didn’t tend to get _nervous_ , no, the human usually only got loud if something troubled him.

“Starkson,” Thor said because it was only polite to address the man properly, especially since he was going to ask him for a favour.

Before Stark though could reply, Loki had to insert himself into the conversation.

“Haven’t you figured out yet that it isn’t Starkson here,” Loki interrupted, voice biting. “It is either Tony or Stark. Not Starkson or Tony Stark. Brother,” here was the word again he’d been so desperate to hear falling from Loki’s lips and yet, now, Thor wished he would stopped uttering it. “What will it take to get through to you? You can’t seriously be this stupid that you haven’t grasped the differences yet?”

Thor narrowed his eyes, his body tensing automatically. His thick skin when it came to insults wasn’t as strong as it used to be. Especially since he was pretty sure Loki no longer tried to rile him up in jest. No, his blasted not-brother was seriously trying to insult him. The sad thing was, he was succeeding, making Thor’s blood boil with fury. Lashing out at Loki though would only proof whatever point the younger man wanted to make.

And here was the crux of the matter: Thor wasn’t going to rise to the bait. His pride wouldn’t let him.

He was practically shivering with barely suppressed raged but, for now, he prevailed to keep his cool.

Ignoring Loki, he stared at Stark. “Will you be able to assist me in procuring Midgardian weapons?”

“Why?” Loki inserted himself again. “So you can get yourself killed? Rush of on some stupid quest with weapons you aren’t familiar with. With a machine gun maybe which is probably too complicated for you to operate…you’d only shoot yourself in the foot!!

Then, with comically and totally insincere wide eyes, Loki turned his body sideways so he could stage whisper at Stark. “Wait…give him the weapons, Tony. I’d like to see him trying to figure out the most complicated ones!”

“I’m not in the habit of selling weapons any more,” Stark answered, taking a page out of Thor’s book, ignoring Loki for the moment.

Mincing words with Loki wasn’t something Thor was prepared to do. Any argument he’d prepared would be rendered ineffective by Loki within seconds. There was a reason why his brother was called Lie-smith and Silver-tongue after all.

“If you would let me explain,” Thor addressed Stark again. “This is of urgent matter and grave importance…”

“Bah!” Loki didn’t let him finish. “Anything with you is of importance. Remember when you insisted on going to Jotunheim? Against my recommendations? You nearly started a war and got yourself banished! And you almost got everyone killed too!” And to Stark, “Trust me on this, Tony. You don’t want to get involved in any of my brothers stupid games…”

“You mean the _game_ where you only pretended to try and talk me out of it?” Thor finally had enough. He might not have made the best decisions in his life but he’d be dammed if Loki was allowed to paint him as a total fool. “That one? Where you tried to kill me? And where you tried to wipe out an entire race including your birth father?”

“Get out,” Loki growled through clenched teeth. His green eyes were nothing but slits. Thor could barely see the colour any more. He was hunched forward, looking ready to uncoil and strike at any given moment. Kind of like a snake, rattling about and looking angry.

“Glady,” Thor replied. With a quick nod towards a rather speechless looking Stark, he turned around. “I’ll find the weapons elsewhere,” he muttered, more to himself than to anyone in particular. “Can’t take out Odin otherwise…”

And this time, if he failed, he wouldn’t end up banished. No, he would end up dead. But he was no coward. Even with the odds stacked against him, he wasn’t going to back down. This had to be done and it would seem, he was the only one able and willing to do it.

He’d barely taken a step towards the glass door when furious whispering broke out behind him. Any other time, he might’ve considered it funny. And now? Now, he didn’t care. Gripping his hammer tight, he passed through the glass frame, stepping out onto the platform. He had just raised the hammer, getting ready to go when Stark’s voice stopped him. He half turned, facing him.

“Are you serious about this?” Stark shouted against the loud roar of the wind. Thor’s clothes were pressed tightly to his body while his hair was billowing behind him like a cape. Maybe he should look into cutting it because having it hand into his eyes were getting on his nerves. So many things were driving him to distraction recently…maybe some change was needed indeed.

Loki wasn’t far behind him, emerging just as Thor gave his answer. 

“Yes,” Thor replied, voice easily carried despite the wind. “Odin is not to be trusted. He has known about Loki’s real plans along and yet, he still would’ve upheld his horrible and unjustified ruling. He can’t be allowed to stay in power when Chitauri finally come. He will sell everyone out for Asgard’s and for his own benefit.”

“Thor!” Loki shouted, his eyes wide and this time without the comic effect. “Stop this madness. Have you lost what little mind you had?”

These were the wrongs words to be uttered right at his moment. Thor’s spine stiffened. The warm colour of his eyes turned arctic. Pride might one day be his downfall but he’d be dammed if he let his not-brother continue to talk to him like this. He was the elder between them. He was the heir to the throne of Asgard and Odin’s son. Even if Loki no longer thought of him as kin, he still deserved to be treated with respect and not like some court jester.

Not trusting his voice, Thor turned around.

“Wait!” Loki was screaming now, his voice even more urgent. Weeks, even a few days ago, Thor would’ve relished in hearing the concern in his brother’s voice. This time though was passed.

He’d made his decision and he was going to stand by it.

He’d find weapons by any means possible, even if it meant stealing them and going against SHIELD to get them.

And he would succeed in deposing his father.

If necessary, he would do this alone. He’d given Loki enough chances to use his supposed brilliant mind to see that they didn’t need to be related by blood to be brothers. 

The only conclusion he could draw now was that Loki simply didn’t care. Maybe he’d never cared as much as Thor had. Either way, Thor was done.

The past was behind him. The future awaited him.

Failure wasn’t an option.

He raised his hammer to the wind, looking up at the sky. Roaring wind was the only answer he got. When he took to the air, lightning struck behind him.

And like magic, the sky darkened around him, obscuring him from sight.

Might this be an omen? Was he supposed to be like lightning? Strike quickly and without remorse?

_Yes_ , he decided, his decision made. They would strike into the heart of Asgard like lightning: Unable to be predicted, harsh in its glory and without mercy.

And like the force of nature they would never strike in the same place twice.


End file.
